The Lost
by Nashuun
Summary: In which Emma is a werewolf and arrives in SB whilst running from the home office. Henry's not hers and really only mentioned in passing. Redswan.
1. Chapter 1

Smoke rings floated steadily out over the hidden lake in the woods of the small annoying little town. She'd stumbled upon the little abode only to find that the people after her couldn't in fact find it. So she knew something about this town wasn't right... hell Storybrooke wasn't even on any maps.

The place was so small and off the map that there was nobody to help her indulge little drug habit. So of course she kept a marijuana plant growing on the windowsill of the apartment she shared with MM, the judgey teacher. Which was of course ironic as she was having an affair with a married man, but that was her own deal. She tried not to judge; she knew anything she said was simply hypocritical. She'd stolen wives and girlfriends, and mothers. So no she didn't say anything other than 'be careful,' and more realistic things like, 'he's not going to leave his wife.'

The Mayor, Regina Mills, hated her and wanted her out of her town. To which she replied for the Mayor to relax; that she didn't want whatever weird things that went into the sudden appearance of a town in Maine to end. She was of course obscure in why she wished to stay in a hidden town and why she wished said town to remain hidden.

The Mayors kid, Henry Mills was a different matter. He was a little shit that bothered her about being some prophesized savior of all the fairy tale characters. Because of course everyone in town was from the Enchanted forest and under a curse to forget who and what they were.

In all honesty it wasn't the craziest thing she'd ever heard, but she refused to indulge him. She'd come to an agreement with the Mayor that they wouldn't talk about these things. An agreement which was basically to stay out of the others business. So in return for refuge she didn't press the fact the woman was likely the evil queen of fairy tales, though with a more realistic twist. She doubted the woman really gave two shits about the fairest of them all bull crap Disney tries to sell. Not that it mattered to the kid who was driving her nuts.

She'd been working as a deputy, basically under the premise that as a successful criminal she knew exactly what to look for. The Mayor didn't care about her record as long as she was of course not going around causing trouble.

The smallness of this town was driving her mad though. She hadn't been laid since arriving, not for lack of interest, rather that she couldn't just find, fuck, forget as was her motto courtesy of the L word. It was the problem with small towns. There was no one night stands where the opposing party was never, ever seen again. No they would be seen eventually even with very careful avoidance techniques, especially with her current job.

Briefly she thought about having fantastic violent earth shattering sex with the Mayor, but then she found out Graham had some weird sex toy thing going on with the woman. She didn't do 'love' triangles or threesomes when a man was involved, so she stayed away from that regardless of the fact Regina would be more than happy for it to be attachment free. The idea of being just one of her little sex slaves just didn't sit well with her.

Ruby though, the young waitress from Granny's was someone she could see herself with. Well maybe a quick fuck in the back room of the diner, but then she'd have to avoid the place.

Still none of these were why she was laying beside the lake in the middle of the night smoking her second joint. No, her current problem was the pain vibrating through her bones, her blood, her very being. Staring up at the full moon that was just begging for her to change. It had taken her years to gain the self-control to not change during the full moon. Even more to change at will which she hadn't done since arriving in this sleepy little town.

It got worse, the pain, the longer she went without changing. Hence the joints. Fantastic pain medication, or distraction.

The snapping of a twig surprised her. She rolled to her feet gun pointed at... "Ruby?" the waitress stopped at the sight of the gun. "Sorry," she hastily put the weapon away. "Smoke?" she questioned.

"Deputy," the leggy brunette smirked. "Where did you even find pot in this town? If it's from that crazy Jefferson bloke I don't want any. He laces his with weird hallucinogens." She tilted her head curiously, "and you're not a very good law enforcement agent."

She chuckled, "I was a criminal long before I got this job." She already started rolling another for them as she lost the other which was almost finished anyway. "It's my own. I brought a plant with me, pineapple express, and yes I got the plant because of the movie, two days after I saw it. The girls been with me ever since."

Ruby sat down beside her accepting the expertly rolled joint and lighter, "what are you doing out here? Besides smoking?"

She shrugged, "same as you I expect," she said recalling the kid's adamant belief that the waitress was in fact red riding hood who unlike the Disney version was in fact the werewolf of the story. When the waitress arched an eyebrow at her she smirked. "Full moon, I get a little... antsy for a few days."

"Oh, how did you know?"

"Mayor's kid thinks you're a werewolf," she shrugged.

"What so you're one too?"

"Maybe I am," she laughed, "it would make me a lot more interesting, but you know also a 'mindless' beast that likes to eat people. Honestly no animal likes to eat people, we don't have enough meat for it to be worth it."

Ruby chuckled, "what kind of werewolf does he think I am? Like underworld style or like... ugh twilight."

"Neither, but I guess closer to twilight. I think you just turn into a normal sized, normal looking wolf. Nothing especially scarring about that."

"Ugh that sucks. Underworld werewolves are scary and awesome."

She lay back down staring up at the moon, "yeah, but they're ugly. I can't picture you ugly an any form." Oh shit, did she, yeah she did. At least it was somewhat smooth, she thought.

Ruby took the comment in stride and lay down beside her blowing smoke rings, "what do you think I'd look like?"

She thought about it for a moment, "it's hard to imagine you without any red, but I think you'd probably have thick dark brown fur and shining yellow eyes. Maybe you'd manage a red streak in there somewhere. You'd be beautiful..." she swallowed, "not that you're not now... as a human... person... woman... uh, shutting up now."

Ruby laughed for a moment, "it's kind of adorable when you ramble, especially when's it's because of me."

"Adorable?" she made a face, "no way. I'm not adorable."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, but you are."

She crossed her arms, "nope. I'm a hardened criminal. I went to jail, I'm terrifying." She nodded to herself still pouting.

"Uh huh," Ruby laughed. "if you say so."

They were silent for a while then. Both just watching the moon as if they'd notice it moving or will it to disappear. Eventually though her gaze drifted over to Ruby. Her long legs encased in skin-tight red jeans. The rest of her covered in a tight white shirt. It was then that she noticed the girl was cold.

Silently she picked up her tossed aside red leather and draped it over the girl, woman. Her eyes locked with grayish green eyes.

It was too tempting, the tension, too delicious to resist. Maybe she'd regret it, maybe she wouldn't. Maybe the kid was right and she wasn't alone in her curse, blessing, superpower, depending on one's perspective. So maybe closing the distance was a good idea.

Ruby's eyes slipped closed as she leaned in, pink tongue darting out to wet suddenly dry lips. Good decision or bad she connected her pink lips to red. There wasn't the clichéd fairy tale songbirds, no fireworks behind their eyes. Nothing but something unique to themselves. Neither gentle nor rough, all teeth and tongue. No it wasn't some earth shattering kiss, but it was theirs.

So neither stopped because neither wanted to. It wasn't until air became necessary that they broke apart only to blink rapidly until their eyes focused back on each other.

She didn't want to take it further, well she did, but she felt the sudden need to maybe do things right this time, to not fuck her and then never go into the diner again. And not just because she needed to eat and Granny's was the only place to do so in town, though she won't lie and say that wasn't a factor.

No, Ruby, she deserved something better than the three f's. Sure the girl dressed like a slut, but that didn't make her one. So instead of fucking her senseless on the forest floor she rolled over to continue staring at the moon. This time though she rested her head not on the hard ground, but in the crook of the taller girls arm.

Then there was Ruby; Ruby who grinned like a teenager who received her first kiss, because she too was thinking along the same lines. She wanted to do things right, maybe go on a date like a normal person. She wanted to know what the scars were from that she so often glimpsed on the Deputy's body, the flashes of tattoos hidden by long sleeves. So she just smiled and ran her hand gently through blonde locks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note: Disclaimers and what not. Anyway a couple people followed this so I'm posting the first date. I don't really know where I'm going with this, but yeah here's the date. Please review and let me know what you think and if you want me to continue. If I do continue the timeline will slow down once I've sort of established the various relationships and all the fun stuff about the home office. After that I planned on making it a little violent and have flashbacks of what happened to Emma. If nobody's interested in that I'll just close off the home office storyline and write a few chapters of RedSwan shenanigans. Thanks for reading. **

A week passed before she had enough and burst into the diner with determination. She'd never had this nervous problem before and she was over it. That was of course until she saw Ruby and started internally freaking out before slipping into a booth.

She watched the leggy brunette saunter over. "What can I get you? The usual?"

It was annoying how nervous she was, "actually... you know... I was thinking... er, maybe we could... I mean if you want to...uhmm, I'd like to... uh... goonadatewithyou?" She cleared her throat, "uh... take you out on a date?"

Ruby grinned, "you seem a little nervous."

"Nervous?" her voice pitched much higher than normal betraying her lie. "I'm not nervous, why would I be nervous? I was just asking you out no big deal, not nervous... definitely not nervous... and I'm fine, why wouldn't I be fine asking you out? You know and you not answering, no I'm not nervous, that's ridiculous. I don't get nervous or ramble incessantly. Nope, not doing that either..." she couldn't stop the word vomit. "Or you know shaking or anything ridiculous like that. Nope, not nervous... and please god shut me up. Because this..."

So Ruby did just that and kissed her chastely, "I'd love to."

"Oh," she cleared her throat. "Right, great, fantastic, brilliant..."

"Ems," Ruby grinned grasping her jittering hand. "You're adorable," she pecked the nervous Deputy, "I'll pick you up Friday at seven."

She frowned, "isn't that my job? I mean I asked you out...? Right? That's how this thing normally works? Right? Maybe I should have asked MM about the rules? Are there rules?"

"Ems," Ruby laughed, "there are no rules. Even if there were I think we already broke them by kissing before the first date."

"Oh... is that a rule? Because that's a stupid rule."

The girl grinned, "I agree," and then she kissed her again before heading off to grab her usual.

* * *

Of course she would have nothing to wear. So far she'd gotten her boys shorts and matching black bra as well as tight black jeans and combat boots. She was busy tossing shirts across the room when MM came in. "Do you need some help?"

"I have nothing to wear," she couldn't help but whine. Though she did lament that one stupid date was turning her into a girl. "Ugh, what is wrong with me?"

"Why do you think something is wrong with you? Who are you trying to impress anyway?"

"No one and nothing, just... shirt, I need a shirt," she threw her box of pictures followed by her baby blanket onto the bed. Then she saw it her white button up. Sighing she slipped it on ignoring MM's lingering looks on her scars and tattoos. Her roommate never asked about them and she never mentioned them. It was much better that way.

"You look good for whoever he is..." the woman trailed off as she slipped into a black and white leather jacket. Always leather, multiple leather jackets of every colour of the rainbow. Not that she'd ever explain to someone why she had such an obsession.

She checked herself in the bathroom full length mirror before slipping on her glasses as she had lost her last pair of contacts and new ones wouldn't be arriving for another few days. "Fucking glasses," she grumbled taking one last look at her appearance. A hat would make her look full on lesbian hipster so she forwent a beanie.

Mary Margaret chuckled, "they suit you."

She shot the teacher a glare just as there was a knock on the door. Ignoring the pixie haired woman's glee at her having a 'suitor' as the teacher would say she walked nervously to the door. Slowly she opened the door and took in the taller brunette. Normally the height thing would bother her, but for whatever reason she found it a turn on that Ruby was taller than her. The girl was dressed in painted on sanguine jeans and a black halter top, red converse, sans jacket.

Ruby took in her appearance very, very slowly, starting at her shoes. She shifted nervously throughout the long look waiting for her date to look at her before complimenting her. A huge grin broke the girls face as she took in the glasses and she had to refrain from using the word adorable. "You look... amazing," the girl whispered.

Her eyes shot up, "you wanted to say adorable didn't you?" she smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, "you look beautiful."

"Can I drive your bike?" Ruby blurted out as she grabbed her keys, cell, and wallet.

Emma turned slowly, "you know how?" the girl shrugged and shook her head, "then no. However," she held her arm out which Ruby took as they left the apartment, "I'll give you lessons." Neither noticed Mary Margaret staring dumbly after them.

"Really?"

"Yeah it requires you having your arms around me, why wouldn't I?" she chuckled.

"Ok come on, my Camero it is," Ruby skipped happily.

The girl held the car door open for her. She blushed deeply never having been on this side of things. Usually, when she was playing, she did all of it, the door holding, the... quote unquote manly stuff. Still she took in stride and waited patiently for Ruby to get in the car before placing her hand on Ruby's thigh having noticed the vehicle was a stick and required both hands to operate.

She was surprised when they pulled up to a carnival... fair, more of a fair "oh..."

"What?" Ruby blurted suddenly worried that she didn't like fair's. "Do you not like... we can go somewhere else."

"No, this is fine, great really, I've never been to one. Well I've never actually participated in one," she gave Ruby's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Really I'm excited to win you a giant teddy bear or something."

"Adorable," Ruby smirked before getting out of the car and running around to help her out. She gave the girl a chaste kiss before heading happily into the fair.

They ate extremely unhealthy food as they walked. The conversation was light and joking. No serious topics were discussed or encroached upon. Really was just like hanging out with her best friend with the added perk of making out every so often.

Then they went over to the games where she was determined to win Ruby a prize. Not that determination got her anywhere but loosing more money than a normal none determined person. "These things are rigged," she finally grumbled giving up at the goldfish bowls. The ping-pong balls just bounced out it was infuriating.

Ruby laughed, "aww come on let's go on some rides."

She glared at the attendant one last time before accepting Ruby's hand and following her. They went on the roller coasters and the spinning UFO that made them both nauseous enough to have to sit down for a while and then there was the haunted house... with a bloodied clown sign. Ruby started towards it only to be jerked to a halt.

"What?"

"I'm not going in there."

"Why...?" Ruby smirked suddenly. "You're scared of clowns."

Emma scrunched up her nose, "I'm not scared."

"Ok then let's go," Ruby started away again only to be yanked back again.

"I think we should..." she took a deep breath before giving herself a pep talk. "Yeah ok... yeah I'm not scared that's silly. You can do this it's just a haunted house full of creepy ass zombie clowns. Ok, yeah... right ok let's go."

Ruby watch amused as they made their way slowly inside. Emma pointedly looked away from the clown attendant, cringing at the maniacal clown laughter. The whole thing was adorable. Of course it wasn't until they were deep in the house when clowns started popping up.

She shrieked like a little girl and buried her face in Ruby's shoulder. Ruby was surprised by just how scared she was of clowns. So much so Emma was shaking and refusing to look up. So they went through the haunted house at a snail pace with Ruby rubbing nonsensical patterns against Emma's back.

If Ruby hadn't been worried about Emma's apparent pending panic attack her fear might have been funny. Of course she couldn't fathom why anybody would be so terrified of clowns.

So when they got out of the maze and Emma was still buried in her neck shoulder she didn't make fun of her. "Hey, lemur, we're out. No more clowns, ever I promise."

Emma cleared her throat and shook her head still unmoving from Ruby's shoulder. "What? I'm fine, totally fine, just clowns. Yeah, just clowns. Fine, ok yeah, I'm good," she nodded against Ruby.

"Aww, Ems, come on let's get you some churros and then we can ride the Ferris wheel and I'll make you forget all about the scary clowns."

Ruby gently led her and bought her ten churros before they clambered into the rather unstable looking ride. Emma kept glancing around like she expected a clown to come out of nowhere and hack her into little itty bitty pieces.

"Hey lemur," Ruby whispered, "why are you scared of clowns?"

"Not scared of clowns, why would I be scared of clowns?"

"Ems?"

She sighed, "when I was four I had this douche of a foster father. He worked as a clown for like kids parties, I rarely saw him you know not dressed as a clown. I've always avoided them since. No big deal, not scared, I just don't like them, yeah. You'll pretend to believe that right?"

Ruby smiled, "of course," she pulled Emma into a kiss. Slow and languid and full of something neither wanted to put a name to. So they didn't notice that they went around the wheel ten times or that the teenager attending was watching them open jawed the entire time. Nor did they notice the show they put on for the people waiting in line.

They were so close to just fucking on the Ferris wheel that they had to visibly force themselves apart to walk back to the car. Ruby still opened the door for her and then they're too close again, sitting in the car. Ruby's hands are shaking with the tension needed to not move and Emma's leg was going a mile per minute.

"Uh... so?" Ruby questions.

"So you have two minutes to take me back to your place or we're fucking in your car," Emma supplies.

There's no debate as Ruby breaks every speed limit to get back to the B&B. At exactly two minutes they're up against the door trying to unlock it with lips attacking each other. They're barely through the door before clothes were discarded. It took a lot to slow down so they could make it to the bed, neither wanting their first time to be on the floor or against the door.

Still, it's fast and rough and so like them that it doesn't matter to them that their first time together isn't that of fairy tales. No, it's rough and they're growling and biting.

Ruby wonders about the raises and bumps all over Emma's body that are so clearly scars. She wonders about the flashes in the moonlight of the tattoos marking pale flesh.

Emma wonders about the Ruby's smooth skin and soft lips. She wonders what it's like to not have scars, to be relatively unharmed at least physically. Neither question it as they taste each other. They don't ask why Ruby pays certain attention to the scars or why she kisses everyone she can reach.

Not now, later perhaps, perhaps soon, but not now, not as Ruby comes around her fingers and mouth. Not as she comes into Ruby's waiting mouth.

That's how it is then when they finally collapse and crawl tiredly under the covers. No talking, just slow languid kisses. Their legs tangled and arms tracing patterns that make no sense across heated flesh. It's how they eventually fall asleep, tangled together, mouths almost touching.

Ruby awoke first with Emma curled tightly around her, blonde hair blanketing them into their own little world. She smiled and coaxed her awake with more languid kisses. "Lemur?" she whispered.

"Mhmm," she groaned eyes petulantly remaining closed.

"You have to let me up if you want breakfast."

"Mmmm, pancakes..." she licked her lips still half asleep. "Bear claws..." it was then that she sat bolt upright the sheets falling down around her exposing scared and tattooed flesh to the morning light. She glanced down at herself briefly debating whether or not to cover back up. With a shrug she rolled over on top of Ruby, "I think," she kissed her, "that we should," another kiss," stay in bed," another, "all day."

Ruby was nodding until both their stomachs decided to make themselves known. The both laughed, "I think I'll go grab us some food and bring it back up." Emma nodded and rolled off her with one last kiss. She watched Ruby throw on sweats and a jumper before skipping away downstairs smiling.

When she returned Emma was in bed still half-asleep on her stomach. The sheets were still pulled down which left a clear view of the crisscross pattern of scars shining against porcelain skin. There were no questions as to what those were from. Braided whips. It broke her heart and amazed her that Emma was so childlike, so... she didn't know, but she wasn't broken.

Ruby set the food down on the bedside table before undressing and trailing kisses along Emma's spine.

"Mmm, food... Pancakes," she turned her head as Ruby reached her neck and drew her in for a soft kiss. "You're the best, Rubes."

At that point of course it became about inhaling her food. Which led to a small food fight, which led to licking each other clean of syrup and fucking. This led them to the shower together which they stayed in way past the point of it freezing. Then of course they were cold and they crawled back into bed together.

True to their word they stayed in bed all day.


	3. Chapter 3

Mary Margaret had tried to stay awake in order to question Emma upon her return. She ended up falling asleep on the couch. Strange dreams plagued her throughout the night. Dreams of living in the woods as a bandit, of running from soldiers dressed in black, of Ruby dressed in a bright red cloak and turning into a wolf, and of stealing diamonds from David.

Little did she know that the rest of the town experienced the same things. Jimminy dreamt of being a cricket that flew around giving advice to people. Granny of living in a cabin in the woods with Ruby and having a mean shot with a crossbow. Lacey of being trapped in a castle. Leroy and the other dwarves of mining.

Everybody all dreaming of little pieces of their past lives. The dreams so vivid that they woke up disoriented and confused.

The worst though was Graham who woke up convinced his heart had been stolen.

Mary Margaret saw him that morning on her way to Granny's. She watched the man stumble off towards the woods. Briefly she thought to chase after him, but she was hoping to find Emma or Ruby at the diner. Neither were there. Ashley had taken Ruby's shift last minute.

"Ruby was down earlier grabbing breakfast to go," the young blonde told her when MM's coffee was ready.

It had bothered her, the whole situation. Not because Emma was gay and in hindsight she realized that it was kind of obvious, if the leather jackets and motorcycle were anything to go by. No she was bothered because Emma hadn't told her and she had to find out so abruptly. She was hurt that Emma hadn't told her during any of their girl nights. Of course she didn't really have a right to be. It wasn't like they had known each other for very long, but she couldn't get over that feeling.

She'd to wait for Emma to get home later tonight to talk to her about her date with Ruby. It obviously had gone well if this morning was anything to go by.

* * *

She was exhausted when she walked through the door to her and MM's apartment. Graham had some sort of mental break. She had shown up at the station only find it locked up and deserted. Tracking the Sheriff through the forest and to the cemetery had been difficult.

Regina had been there, at the cemetery, visiting her father. Of course Graham started shouting something about the Evil Queen stealing his heart and wanting it back.

Just the whole thing was strange and cemented that Henry's fairy tales were real and Regina was the EQ. This realization started a heated argument between the two. There was no way she would have thought a little scuffle with Regina would lead them towards being sort of friends, or at least on their way to being friends.

Who knew all the Mayor needed was a good fist to the face to get her to loosen up a bit. If the curse were to break people would shit bricks over Savior and Evil Queen being all BFF with each other.

They'd taken Graham to the hospital where he would reside until he either got all of his memories back or stayed in his psychosis. It was strange to see the Mayor actually seem upset about the Sheriff's state. Maybe she was just upset about loosing her boy toy though. The two got their faces and hands checked out while they were there. No major damage; they'd both just be sporting black eyes for a while.

The last thing she wanted at the end of a really long day/night was MM. MM who flipped on the lights like she was a teenager who was coming home drunk from a party she wasn't supposed to go to.

"Hey," she grunted. Maybe she should have gone back to Ruby's. That was probably too much too soon. They had spent most of their day in bed, after all and it was only their first date.

MM was silent for a long moment before she blurted out, "you're gay."

"Yup."

"You didn't tell me."

"Nope, I'm going to bed."

"You went on a date with Ruby."

Emma sighed, "yes. It was nice. We went to the fair."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Uhmm it's personal?" She just wanted to go to bed. The morning would be a better time to process her blooming romance with Rubes and her weird maybe friends in the future thing with the Mayor. "Look, I'm sorry that you're upset about this, but no offense or anything I couldn't be sure how you'd react. Since you're not throwing holy water on me I'm assuming you're just mad I didn't tell you. So thanks for not being a homophobe or something."

"Oh..." MM didn't really know what to say about that. "Ok, I'm sorry too. It's not... we haven't really known each other for very long. Maybe I'm just embarrassed for trying to set you up with this towns male suitors."

She chuckled, "goodnight MM."

"Goodnight Emma."

* * *

"Hey Rubes," she cradled her phone in bed.

"Hey lemur," Ruby smiled on the other end of the phone. She had thought that Emma would try to play this whole thing cool and not call her for a few days. "Something up?"

"Yes and no," debating whether or not to her. Rubes would find out eventually, "Graham's in the hospital."

"What? Why?"

"He had some sort of mental break. Woke up this morning convince someone had stolen his heart and not in that cheesy romcom way, like a someone reached their hand into his chest and snatched it way."

Ruby was silent for a long moment, "will he be okay?"

"I don't know. Regina was there and I might have punched her in the face."

"You what!? Oh my God she's going to kill you. You have to leave town. This is terrible, why would you do that? You can't go to jail. I'd only ever see you through glass. There's a cabin in the woods you have to go there no..."

"Ruby!" she interrupted her rambling. "It's fine, I actually think Madam Mayor and I might be friends now." The line stayed silent for a few minutes. "Uh, Ruby?"

"Friends with the mayor? You're friends with the Mayor because you punched her?"

She scratched the back of her neck, "well actually she punched me first."

"She what!? Oh my God I'm going to kill her. Are you okay? She didn't break anything did she..."

"Ruby!" she cut the poor girl off before she could start rambling again. "I'm fine, she's fine, we're all fine. Both of us will probably sport us some matching black eyes. No big deal. Beside it's my fault, I took our little insulting match too far."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah Rubes I'm sure. I'll come by first thing in the morning and you can play nurse." Wow picturing Ruby in a little slutty nurse costume was a fantasy she didn't know she would ever have.

"Emma?" Nothing. She was too busy picturing Ruby taking care of her. "Em!?" Still nothing. "Stop picturing me in one of those slutty Halloween costumes."

"What? I wasn't."

"Uh huh. You better come by in the morning and I'll see about that costume."

"Really?" she questioned to late. The waitress had already hung up. "Evil," she muttered before drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face.

**A/N: I don't really like this chapter. Mostly just a set up ch and me messing around with the timeline. I don't really like MM or Snow but I'm trying not to hate on her (too much). I personally find her extremely annoying so it will probably reflect it my writing. Sorry about the minimum RedSwan in this ch. And yes I am going to make Emma and Regina Bff's. I can't help it SQ seems to pop up in all my writing, even in some of my original works. Next ch. there will be SQ BFF scene. Also Ruby has a little freak out. So you get both. **

**Oh and if anybody has any ideas for who to pair Regina with I'm all ears. I've never shipped her with anybody other than Emma and maybe that spoon. Or I can leave her single with her TL as Henry.**

**Also up to readers is to kill Graham or not kill Graham.**

**I'm really happy that people seem to like this. I had been extremely anxious about posting any of my writing. So thank you for following and favoriting? (Favoring it? I could have sworn that was correct but that little red line is driving me crazy) and for reviewing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: It's been like a month and I'm really sorry. You're getting two chapters tonight. I just moved across the country (US) with my brother and he lacked internet, but we have it now. So expect updates more often. Unless of course we (meaning our roommates) pay late (they never pay us anything on time). Sorry if the chapters are a little short. I hope you like it and I hope we don't have anymore internet issues. **

"This is your fault!"

"My fault!? How is this my fault? Maybe it's you."

"You're the one gallivanting about with a bitch..."

"Dog jokes aren't appreciated," she tried to interrupt.

She was ignored of course, "and mating all over the town. You've practically u-hauled..."

Again she tried to interrupt, "lesbian jokes aren't appreciated either."

"...it's been two months since the two of you copulated on the Ferris wheel in front of the entire town. Really dear, who else would it be?"

"Ok we didn't fuck on the Ferris wheel and I hardly see what Ruby and I have to do with everybody in town having weird ass fairy tale land dreams."

"Don't be an idiot. You've read Henry's book."

"I skimmed it yeah, and really true love? I doubt that."

"Yes well you're ability is questionable."

"Can you go five seconds without insulting someone?"

"No."

Emma tossed her hands in the air, "for fuck's sake. Fine say it is our fault, what exactly do you want me to do about it?"

"The simple solution would be to leave the waitress in her kennel."

She groaned, "one more dog joke and your face is going to meet my fist."

"We've already met," Regina smirked, "and I must say I wasn't impressed."

"Really?" she chuckled, "your black eyes said otherwise."

"I have no..."

"Idea what I'm talking about," she quickly nipped that in the bud. "I thought this was serious."

"It is, which is why you and your husky need to stop sucking face."

"Did you just..." she frowned. "Was that a dog and a slut joke?"

"Your idiocy is astounding. Yes it was a play on words, hussy husky." She just stared at the Mayor. "It was funny," and really the woman looked far too pleased with herself.

She was really confused as to how they had become friends, "if I'd known punching you in the face would lead to..." she trailed off not really sure where she was going with that sentence.

"Hilarious dog puns?" Regina questioned.

"You need to work on your sense of humor, your majesty."

"Whatever. The point is that your furry girlfriend and you are breaking the curse and neither of us want that. Gods forbid you'll tell me why that is though." Regina had been trying to get that out of her since she stepped foot in the little sleepy town.

She smirked loving how much the older woman hated being in the dark. "I'm not breaking up with Ruby, we're good together."

"Then we're both in the dog house," and there was that proud smirk that she was able to throw in yet another dog joke.

"You don't even know what will happen if the curse breaks. Everybody could go to FTL for all you know."

Regina scowled, "you want to roll the dice because the waitress is good with her mouth?"

"Ok that's not it and you know it," she smirked devilishly, "you're just jealous because Graham is still in the hospital and nobody is cleaning your gutters."

"Don't be crass," the mayor waved her off, "if that's really how you want to play this because Ruby dogged her way into your heart then we need to talk to Gold."

She rolled her eyes as she stood, "I gotta go your Majesty. Try to be peasant for the rest of the day."

The last thing she heard as the door was closing, "now who's making stupid jokes!" Really she couldn't believe they had become friends or that Regina managed to get a dog joke in almost every sentence. She could only imagine how much worse the stupid puns and jokes would be when the mayor found out she too had a furry side. God the woman was going to be insufferable... more insufferable than usual.

* * *

She meandered through the forest and to her and Ruby's spot, the hidden lake that was rather difficult to find. Regina was right as much as she hated to admit it. It was a gamble, and she'd learned long ago not to gamble. The safest action would be to end things with Ruby but she doubted her ability to stay away from the wolf.

Playing it safe was what kept her out of the Home Office's grip though. Gambling on what ifs was how you got caught. If the barrier did fall it wouldn't just be her that became some sick test subject to those psychopaths. Did she really want to risk that on the off chance that the barrier stays or everybody gets whisked away to fucking Fairy Tale Land?

Was her love life really worth the risk of being drugged into delirium? Did she really have a right to make that gamble for everybody? Since when did she care about everybody else? She cared about Ruby and she begrudgingly cared about the insufferable Mayor. It was the three of them who'd get the worst of it. She shivered at the thought of being in their clutches again and at Ruby being there.

Maybe being miserable and alone was better than rolling the dice. She'd rather Ruby hate her than watch her be tortured 'for science.' Hell they'd only been dating for a couple of months and she didn't believe in that true love crap. Was that really all that different from having a mate though? She knew that was real and seen others of her kind wither and die alongside their mate simply because they couldn't live without the other. If Ruby was her mate, from what she'd been told, then being apart would be torture in itself. The question then was which would be worse, actual torture, or the torture of being separated from her mate?

Of course Ruby might not even be her mate no matter how much she suspected it to be so. Perhaps the solution was to just tell Rubes everything. Rather than dodging the questions about her scars and tattoos with ambiguous answers and quick changes in the subject she could just let it out. Then they could decide together what to do.

Or she could chicken out and just break up with the girl, that was the easiest choice and it solved everybody's problems. No more breaking of the curse kept everybody safe.

Decided she rose, time to find Ruby and hope that maybe they could still be friends. Just stop sucking face as Her Majesty suggested.

* * *

She practically sprinted to Ruby's room at the B&B. It took her a moment to calm down enough so as not to pound the door down. Taking a deep breath she slipped into the room. In an instant her resolve to end this and put a halt to the outside threat crashed and exploded into nothingness.


	5. Chapter 5

_A man, her love, was chained to a tree. He was dangerous. That's why. Everything was so vivid. Everything brighter, smells stronger, noise louder. The man's fear was palpable, Peter. Why was he afraid? Maybe that he would hurt someone. Why would she think he would hurt someone? _

_ Growling vibrated through her. She wished she could look around to find its source. Peter stared at her wide eyed. He struggled in his bounds, so helpless chained like that. Why was he looking at her like that, like she was something to be feared, something to get away from?_

_ He started pleading with her, "Red, Red! Please don't do this! Red! Stop! No, no, no, no. Oh Gods stop!"_

_ It came to her then as her teeth barred. She was the wolf. Oh god she was the wolf. Moving closer though she begged her lupine body to move back, to move away. This wasn't happening. She wouldn't hurt him. She loved him, her Peter._

_ Control, she needed control. She would have wept in frustration had she been able. Would have rip her body from limb to limb before she moved any closer. Gods she would have screamed to in abject horror. _

_ She was not in control, nor could she get it from the beast that had taken over her body._

_ Peter screamed as her razor sharp teeth descended upon his throat. She screamed trapped somewhere deep inside as his blood filled her mouth. Screamed as she tore him into pieces. Screamed as he was screaming. His voice so filled with terror echoing in her ears. _

_ Gods the wolf enjoyed it, enjoyed the blood, flesh and bone. Mostly it enjoyed the fear that was thick in the air._

_ Pain erupted in her side. Suddenly she was far from the bloodbath, far from the snow stained with pieces of her love. This had to be a dream, but she knew, knew that it wasn't. _

_ Red descended around her and suddenly her screams filled the air. Control, she was in control. Yet she couldn't stop screaming as she clawed free of hands trying to hold her back. Clawed her way to the pieces left of Peter._

_ No words came forth as she clutched at the torn form of her love. She was a monster. Covered in the blood of her Peter she knew she was a monster. Only a monster could do that to someone they loved..._

* * *

After only a moments thought she launched across the room to a sobbing Ruby. Wailing uncontrollably no words the girl said made any sense. Emma didn't need to hear it. The kid had tried repeatedly to tell her that 'Red' was dangerous and to stay away from. That she was a wolf who killed with no remorse taken into the Queens employ. Try as the little shit might she refused to read that story. If it was accurate it was still Ruby's story to tell.

According to her highness the book left out much anyway. It was a children's book and put into words a child could understand and words that wouldn't hurt their delicate sensibilities.

Ruby clung to her sobbing out apologies. Peter was the only clear word spoken.

Suddenly the waitress was pushing her away, "you have to leave."

"What...? Ruby?" She pulled the girl tighter to her. Ruby struggled to put distance between them so distraught that she hardly knew what she was doing. Refusing to let the waitress go she whispered soothing words, any words she could think of that she'd heard from those sappy ass movies. So far into the deep end she had no clue as to what she was doing only that she couldn't let Ruby go.

"I killed him," she sobbed into Emma's neck. "Oh, gods I killed him." Who she was talking about Emma didn't know. "I fucking ate him Ems... oh god I... I ate Peter..." the rest of what she had to say was interrupted by more cries.

She just held her, let her cling to her like a child woken from a nightmare. In a way that was exactly what Ruby was in this moment.

It didn't take much to deduce what had happened. Ruby killed this man, Peter, the man she loved. She wished it wasn't surprising that Ruby had killed someone, but few of their kind ever went without killing someone by mistake. That it was someone Ruby loved was the worst why to start. Often those who did feared and hated their wolf too much to gain dominance over it. Becoming feral was the only path for those who couldn't accept their other half.

As much as Emma wished it she couldn't take this away from Ruby. No, she had given the woman she lo... liked this horrible memory. Yet now that it was there she couldn't bring herself to leave Rubes to deal with it herself. Not with the tears soaking through her shirt. Not with Ruby shaking in her arms while protesting occasionally that Emma needed to get away or she'd probably die too.

Full moon was in two days. Now that Ruby remembered she'd likely change. After a twenty-eight year respite it would likely be the worse change she'd every experienced. The wolf would be hard to control. As much as she didn't wish to Emma would have to change with her.

Regina would have to help her clear a large area of the woods or at least warn people away from the forest entirely. Ruby would be dangerous and difficult to control. Her own wolf would be extra aggressive as well having been repressed for such a long time.

She couldn't think about that now. Ruby had stilled in her arms.

"You have to leave," the waitress whispered. "I'm a monster... I could kill you..."

"Rubes you're not going to kill me."

"You don't know that... oh god, I ate him... I can't... you..." Ruby sat up abruptly and launched from the bed. "The full moon," she moved swiftly to get dressed. "You have to lock me up!"

"Babe I'm not going to lock you up." Babe? Where did that come from? God she was turning into one of those people. She frowned at herself. Looking back up Ruby was gone. "Fuck me."

**A/N: Again really sorry for the long ass wait. If all of you would prefer I can do longer chapters, unless you prefer this length. I was thinking of doing FairyQueen or maybe Beauty Queen. I refuse to do outlawqueen, but I'm open to pretty much any other pairing. (If you want longer length chapters expect an update once a week. If you want it to stay this length expect an update twice a week). **


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry this is late and really short. We had a really weird power surge and of course I hadn't saved anything. I was really annoyed and couldn't bring myself to rewrite anything. Which also means this is worse (or not as good) than what I originally wrote. Ch. 7 is done and I'm working on 8 which is going to be longer as are the future chapters. **

**Thank you to the new followers and favorites. I'm really glad people like this and I'm glad I didn't go with my usual method of writing. That is to write a story (500-1000 pages), read it over and then delete it. And yes people have informed me before that doing that is crazy. There's just something cleansing about wiping the slate clean.**

**Lastly the rating is going up because this has taking a darker turn, more than I was planning. This also means TRIGGER WARNINGS from here on out just for overall dark themes, violence, torture, blood, gore, etc. **

Screams echoed throughout the facility. Tamara he knew loved nothing more than to hear a man screaming and begging for her to stop. It was what made her so good at getting information from their... guests. He admitted to enjoying the sounds of terror as well. Especially when it was one of those mangy mutts. They acted so superior to them, like lowly humans couldn't possible know how to wrangle information from unwilling people.

Tamara had one now. Caleb Jennings, second in command of the new England pack of timber wolves. Small pack, but troublesome, they'd lost a lot of good men taking them down. Caleb was the only one alive enough to be brought to Racyle Industries underground facility, aka the home office.

The screaming stopped, his boots clicking down the hallway suddenly becoming the only sound. Hopefully Tamara hadn't killed him, or if she had that she at least found out where that blonde bitch was hiding and how she completely disappeared in the first place.

Down the white brightly lit hallway a door opened revealing a blood covered Tamara grinning like she won the lottery.

"Good news?" he asked giving her a quick peck as she wiped a wet cloth over bloodstained hands. The woman enjoyed the cleanup almost as much as the deed.

"Interesting news," she smirked at his raised eyebrow. Woman loved to milk it for all it was worth.

"How so?" he indulged her as he always did.

"Apparently twenty-eight years ago a part of the woods seemed to suddenly disappear. It wasn't gone they just can't get into it. No matter what they did the woods just kept them out of that area. He directed Allison Cameron now known as one Emma Swan there. Refused to accept her into the pack partly because of us and partly because of what she did to us. Couldn't have a monster like her living with them."

He could already see where this was going, "witches. She's so desperate she took refuge with hags." He laughed in delight, christmas had come early this year. "Does he know how to get inside the spell?"

She shook her head, "but it seems like a typical repelling spell. Makes you think you're going towards it when in reality you're walking in circles or at least looping around and heading away."

"Could be, but I doubt she'd do that again after what happened last time she got a witch to help. Up until now she's just been constantly on the move in random directions."

Tamara shrugged and started down the hall, "he gave me the coordinates so we'll be able to pick it up on our satellite. We could always ask the Oracle."

He shivered at the thought. The red-headed girl was so insane none of their questioning methods worked. She'd share what she could see if she felt like it and not a moment before. "I'd rather not." Girl gave him the creeps with the amount of evil radiating off of her. There was nothing they could do but keep her locked up and use her to get information when they hit dead ends. She seemed amused by their efforts to put an end to magic. Hopefully something would come up the satellite imagery.

* * *

There was nothing. The woods at those coordinates and a fifty mile radius looked perfectly normal. Whatever spell was around the area was not a simple repellent charm. There was dark magic at play, dark and powerful magic.

Not wanting to meet with that psychotic girl down in one of the holding cells he sent Felix with Tamara and waited in is office for them to come give him a report. It took them much longer than he would have expected and neither looked happy as they entered the room.

He said nothing as the two fumed silently. Emma Swan was and is hated by all of them. As much as they wished to kill her for the thousands she slaughtered in her escape they needed her alive. A werewolf with exceedingly high energy reading. He knew that this time the bitch had found a good hiding place.

"A different realm," Tamara finally ground out.

"What now?"

"This spell... or curse she said kept them at the precipice between two worlds. Neither here nor there, but both here and there," Felix quoted the Oracles words.

"That makes no sense. Fucking Oracle riddles."

"The point is," Tamara cut in before he could go off on a rant about how much the red-headed girl annoyed him. "We can't get in and apparently they can't get out. That the Golden wolf could is a unique occurence."

"Is that all?"

"If the curse breaks we could get in, but the Oracle seemed to think that it was futile to try and take them."

"Them?"

She grimaced at her next words, "the people of the enchanted forest."

Fairytale characters. She was telling him that Snow White and her seven dwarfs were roaming around in coastal Maine. He wished he could laugh. "A land of magic... are there others then, worlds?" If so their work had barely begun.

"We are the only world without magic... according to Crazy downstairs."

Other worlds full of magic. Yes their jobs just got much harder. Oh he would enjoy keeping the Swan girl alive to see every world fall, starting with her little safe haven. "Get the research division on the traveling between worlds business and set up a perimeter around the spelled area. When the curse breaks we march, a half a million dollar reward to the one who brings me Swan or any person she seems close to."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Another short one. Now that everything is established chapters will be longer (2-4 thousand words as opposed to the 1 the last few chapters have been) and most likely more violent. It's all unedited besides like spelling mistakes. The next chapter will probably take a couple of weeks and I think that's about how often I'll be able to update. **

**TW: Violence, torture, etc. **

It didn't take long to find Ruby. If the girl had known of her own heightened senses it no doubt would have been much harder. As it was the waitress found no need to cross through water or find something to mask her scent.

As she approached the town line her step faltered. Ruby stood next to the welcome sign and just beyond that a camp of soldiers none able to see them on this side of the barrier. _Fuck. _The home office, she had no doubt. Even less so when she saw the douche and his psychotic girlfriend standing a foot away from Ruby looking through her.

Greg and Tamara, she briefly wondered if they had gotten married yet. They were sickening together, getting off at the screams of those they 'questioned.' The image of the two making out with her blood soaking them was seared into her memory.

She wondered if the barrier blocked sound as well as sight. Would they sadistic couple hear her if she cursed them? _Shoot them now!_ her mind screamed at her. Her gun wasn't at her hip though. Before Storybrooke she always carried it on her. The peaceful town had made her to comfortable.

"Ruby," she whispered not wanting to get close to her hunters.

"They can't see me," Ruby replied not looking back. "They can't hear me."

Greg snapped at a passing soldier suddenly making the two jump at the sudden sound from the surprisingly quiet camp. "Bring me a hound." Moments later a vicious looking dog was brought forward barking like made trying to get at them. "I knew I could smell that bitch." He took a step forward pressing himself against the barrier. "Come out little Swan!" He shouted.

"Ruby!" she pulled the girl back a good distance away from the balding man.

"Baby she's a cowardly bitch I don't think she's going to come waltzing out because you tell her to."

"Just letting her know that her and this devil town is going to burn while she watches. Then she's going back into her room. We've got it just how you left it Swan!" He turned his attention back towards the town. "Still stained with your blood. Your screams still echoing off the walls."

She clenched her jaw wanting nothing more than to tear him apart. Him and his fucking girlfriend. Her eyes flashed gold as she fought with her wolf. Ruby next to her was having the same unexpected problem, the waitress never having control of her wolf outside the three days of the full moon.

Tamara rubbed her hands over his chest feeling just as aroused at the thought of the blonde being back on her table.

Sick fucks. Gods she wished she could forget them fucking practically on top of her while she was treated to an endless wave of electroshock. She quickly swallowed back the bile rising quickly.

They needed to get out of there and quick. She could feel her bones on the verge of snapping, her muscles bulging as he continued to taunt her with images from her five year stint as their... experiment.

A low growl from the waitress beside her drew her out of the horrible memories. Rubes lacked the control over the wolf to prevent it. She'd likely shift soon after unable to prevent it with the younger waitress' pheromones saturating the air.

She pulled Ruby away quickly heading back towards town as far away from the Greg and his taunting as possible. Flipping open her phone she hit her number two speed dial.

It was answered almost immediately by a snapped, "what?"

"Welcome to Storybrooke sign. We have a problem. Wolfsbane would be welcome," she shut the phone and continued to drag a still changing Ruby away from the line.

* * *

Wolfsbane. It wasn't even full moon what could that infuriating woman want with wolfsbane. The plant wasn't even very useful only delaying the transformation for a short time. Still she grabbed her supply of it as she headed out the door.

Whatever was going on wasn't good so she didn't want to delay heading straight to the town line. It was a strange sight to see Emma kneeling in front of the wolf their hands clasped tightly around the wolf girls ears.

As soon as she pulled up the blonde practically picked up Ruby and tossed her into the back seat before climbing in after and slamming the door shut.

"Wolfsbane," the idiot gritted out her own eyes flashing rapidly between a golden silver and blue/green.

Regina tossed the jar into the back seat hoping the apparently two dogs wouldn't mess up the nice leather. She didn't want fur to cover everything. As much as she wanted to make hilarious dog puns now clearly was not the time.

She watched through the rearview mirror as the blonde coaxed the waitress to chew and swallow the toxic plant. As the girl calmed down so did Emma. Both their eyes flashing back to their original colours. It was rather fascinating to watch Swan instruct the younger girl how to control her wolf in the brief respite.

"Besides her Majesty will probably shoot us both if we claw up her nice leather seats."

Ruby's eyes snapped to hers in the mirror flashing gold once more.

"No need for that dear," she smirked. "I'm assuming you didn't call me just for animal control."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Look forward your holiness."

She stared for a long time at the activity just past the town line. "Why the hell is there an army parked on my doorstep?!"


End file.
